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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

So do you want to know how to get 5 minutes peace?

Remember the time when you could spend a whole lazy morning flicking through the Sunday papers? Or when you'd pop out to a local restaurant for lunch? Or when you could hop on a plane for a romantic weekend in Paris? (No I know, I never did that either but the point is you could if you wanted to).
And then the kids came along.
Now you consider yourself lucky if you manage to go to the loo without a small child hanging off your leg or someone asking for the 54th time that morning if they can have another biscuit.

Sometimes you are just so desperate to get 5 minutes to yourself that you do things you know that rationally you shouldn't.
So I thought I'd share with you some of the things I have done over the years to get a much needed, I'm- going-to-flip-out-if-I-don't-get-a-, moments peace.

A common occurance in our household is the Cheerios \ rice \ raisons all over the kitchen floor scenario. It's not like I don't know they're doing it. It's just that at that particular moment the full cup of coffee sitting in front of me, or the article I can read from start to finish - uninterrupted - is worth the 40 minute clean up* and aghast looks from Disapproving Dad when he walks in.

Then there's the 'oh no I know he shouldn't be playing with that' moments. Not just once I have let one of my little darlings play with, and subsequently break, my only pair of designer glasses - 'yes sweetheart you just take them into the playroom and come back when they resemble a coat hanger'.

18 comments
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Hi there, found you via British Mummy Bloggers and thought I'd pop by and say hello. I left Nipper and his Dad(who should have known better) with a big box of rice and lots of spoons and scoops etc. Came back to find it all over the living room floor and stuck between the strips of parquet flooring. Took bloody ages to hoover up - notice I didn't create the mess but I get to hoover! Couldn't get the rice from between the parquet and have subsequently carpeted the lounge. If we ever move house and someone wants to restore the floor they'll find enough rice to make a nice dinner!

Luckily Charlie likes 'oudoors' and our garden is tiny, enclosed and perfectly safe. Muddy, wet and cold at this time of year, but safe for a bit of independent play while daddy reads a blog or two and makes a comm.....

Freyja loves playing with mobile phones too. I have been known to put it onto text message mode, and let her tap away on it and that keeps her amused for ages. Although, it has been known for her to send the mangled message to a random person before, and I have caught her recently halfway through a call to 999... So I think I may have to quit that one.

The other thing is "accidentally" leaving the door to the DVD cabinet open... God forbid Freyja gets in there and pulls out all the DVDs and computer games, taking them out and putting them back in there... Keeps her amused for up to an hour! It's a shame I have to go to work before I can put them all back in again... Oops...

I did exactly what you did in the picture, in total desperation, at the airport. Funnily enough they loved it and I got to chat and eat 'candy' with a mad old lady from New York who thought they were just ad-oooooor-able. She'd missed them running the length of the airport screaming and trying to kill each other minutes earlier. Sometimes they actually 'want' boundaries ha ha!

Downloaded Angry Birds game onto my iPhone, it keeps my princess entertained for absolutely ages. Only problem is she gets hysterical if the battery goes dead (which it did today). Also run the risk of screen breaking when she eventually becomes bored and throws the phone on the hardwood floors in disgust!

I love reading posts like that, reminds me we're all in this together. They don't make for an easy life, do they?? My son has just made a gigantic train track through the middle of the lounge room, my husband accidently trod on it and it's not pretty. My daughter has got her hands on her father's full bowl of cereal and thrown it on the carpet. She loved it. I'm ignoring all this and calmly typing.

Car seats?! Genius!! I may see if I can pick up some cheap second hand ones to keep in the house.... ;)I've been known to let my 3 year old loose with felt tips on my kitchen table, there are so many spots and stripes I've just turned the table round so she can finish the job. *don't tell hubby though, so far he's not noticed* It may as well all match at least. Thanks for sharing, glad it's not just me, my hubby thinks I'm insane :D

I don't know if you looked at my 'me pretending to be a mommy-blogger' posts when you came over to my blog, but I've made a few suggestions for five minutes peace there, borne of long experience. I loved your car seats picture. You and I are of similar minds.

A labrador and a pair of balloons. Toddler boxes dog with said balloons. Dog tries to catch balloons. Gave me at least ten minutes. Thanks for following me - that's how I've found you. Looking forward to sharing more tips!

Oh this made me laugh and cry all at once! The current favourites are loo roll and boxes of tissues. Both make a horrid mess but entertain for a looooong time. And sometimes I 'accidentally' leave the much coveted basked of remotes on the coffee table...love this blog, Kate!

Hi Kate, enjoyed reading this post,he he, the part about the cheerios made me laugh out loud. I have done this soooooo many times, let them play with the raisins etc and pretend I dont notice. Have recently taken to letting the 2 year old play with all the games apps on Daddy's iphone which he dont like at all!! Gets me an extra 1/2 hour in bed in the morn.

Letting them watch things they like on YouTube - currently steam and diesel trains for my son. I'm a bit worried I'm raising up a train spotter but apparently it's normal to be so obsessed at 2 1/2. You could also try planes, cars, tractors, boats, helicopters. Not sure about what girls like to watch - haven't got to that stage yet with my 10-mth-old. Mind you, at the rate she's going she'll probably want to watch the same things as her brother.